Violence against women, sexist violence, relentlessly adapts to the present times and getting stronger.

One of the worst evils in society is misogyny, which is actually expanding. From the political and institutional fronts all discourses are supposedly aimed at solving the crisis, but neither the national governments nor the EU, are stating gender equality and policies against gender violence as indispensable.

In Europe and worldwide women’s salaries are lower for the same jobs, women undergo double and triple working days, the feminization of poverty, less job opportunities, precarious employment, responsibility for care work, lower employment rates, lower rates of representation. Women are murdered when claiming girls’ right to education, burkas won’t disappear, women are stoned to death for defending their freedom, acid is used to repress the body, femicide of young and poor women is increasing, as well as sexual exploitation of women and girls for the sexual gratification of male buyers and the financial profit of criminal organisations. Women defending secular and internationalist feminism are imprisoned…

In several countries abortion laws are threatened by backward modifications, inequality is increasing, women are murdered, precariousness is also going up due to the crisis in states like Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy or most of the Eastern Europe countries. The sexist use of language by institutions and TV programs reinforce inequality and the dismantling of Public Services affects mostly women.

The Party of the European Left demands the ending of violence against women in our societies. For this the following is necessary:

That in addressing the crisis both national and European institutions direct their efforts and human, material and financial resources to establish equality and end violence against women by annual plans which must be reflected in a general and specific budgets at all levels.

To oppose the violence of the markets and Capital, to oppose the cooperation of governments and the indifference of part of society: We need a Feminist Revolution

THE ELP CONDEMS THE VIOLENT ESCALATION BY THE ISRAEL GOVERNMENT IN GAZA STRIP AND URGES THE EU TO RECOGNIZE THE STATE OF PALESTINE

The killing by the Israel army of the Hamas military leader Ahmed Jabri is an effort to prevent the recognition by the UN of the State of Palestine, provoking a reaction from Hamas and profiting the violence created in face of coming Israeli elections in order to increase influence of the right-wing government. With the escalation of violence, causing dozens of killings among the Palestinian population and threaten an Israeli intervention and war, the real aim for the Israel government is to present the case of the recognition of Palestinian State as impossible. We appreciate the diplomatic efforts of president Abbas to accelerate the UN recognition that would allow the peaceful resolution for the Middle East conflict.

We urge the European states to support the recognition of the Palestinian state in the UN, and condemn the Israeli escalation of violence as well as to stop the EU-Israel trade agreement that has been recently upgraded.

We support the right to self-determination of the Palestinian, internationally recognized, to have their own state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and the right to return of the Palestinian refugees.

We demand an end to Israeli occupation, the dismantling of the illegal settlements and the apartheid wall as well as an end to the siege of Gaza, and to achieve a ceasefire and the end of violence.

During the last large-scale Israeli attack and offensive on the Gaza strip civilians paid the price of political inactions. We must not allow history to repeat itself.

EL Declaration

2014 European elections: for a democratic refoundation of Europe

Authoritarianism and the confiscation of powers in favour of the Troika and financial interests are becoming the rule to impose austerity policies: national parliaments, rights and freedoms, trade union activities and even the European Parliament, are excluded from essential choices. The refusal of the Commission to register the European Citizens’ Initiative originated by the EL has shown very clearly the institutional blockage.

The crisis of democracy has never been so deep in the EU and in the countries of Europe. This requires an in-depth refoundation that finally gives real power to citizens and elected assemblies.

The European Parliament will discuss a draft resolution amending the organization of the 2014 European elections. The main “innovations” are to ask the political “families” to designate their candidate for the presidency of the European Commission, as well as candidates for commissioners’ functions, considering that 50% would come from the future European Parliament.

These proposals do not respond to the democratic deficit that is getting worse in the EU. Worse, they may legitimize the strengthening of the powers of the Commission, contrary to the necessary democratization of the EU. Presidentializing and personalizing the European political debate, will divert it from the real issues.

When citizens are demanding the right of expression which has been taken away from them, the Party of the European Left deems these marginal changes ridiculous.

Much more ambitious measures are needed, namely the democratization of electoral laws. The EL is in favour of a fully proportional electoral system without threshold and strongly demands all EU member states that don’t have this system to adopt it before next European elections.

The EL also demands the European Parliament to adopt a recommendation in this sense, as a fully democratic election of its members is necessary condition for any democratic Parliament.

The Party of the European Left on situation in Moldova

The Party of the European Left forcefully condemns the actions of the ruling regime in Moldova aimed at actual deny the respect for basic human rights and freedoms. We believe the Law banning the communist symbols ‘sickle and hammer’, which came into force in Moldova since 1 October 2012, to be mockery of common sense.

Bans and fines for using symbols of the largest political force in Moldova, which is also in opposition, are the height of folly. The repressive, undemocratic, totalitarian regimes, being on the verge of collapse, are only capable to undertake such actions.

The cowardly regime only persecutes its political opponents, closing down the undesirable TV channels, puts itself above the people’s will and changes laws to merely pursue its own selfish interests.

We express our solidarity with all of the Moldovan people, which, in fact, is now held hostage by the existing regime.

We demand to stop harassing opposition activists! We insist on repeal of the law prohibiting the use of ‘sickle and hammer’! We protest against the closing down the opposition television channel NIT for political reasons and are convinced that Moldovan citizens should have the right to access to information, the alternative information which differ from the official point of view.

We call the Moldovan authorities for guaranteeing respect for freedom of expression and genuine pluralism of opinions in the mass media, as well as restoring the NIT TV Channel broadcasting in the country!

We urge the leadership of the European Union: the European Parliament and the Commission to reconsider its policy towards the ruling regime in Moldova. Moldova is fast becoming the most undemocratic and corrupt country on the European continent. This is inadmissible!

Moldova needs to return to the path of democratic development.

The end of the hunger strike in Turkey must indicate the start of a real dialogue

The Party of the European Left (EL) is relieved that the hunger strike of the hundreds of political prisoners in Turkey ended without losing lives, although the health of many might have suffered greatly, since many had been on hunger strike for a long time, some for 68 days. We hope that the end of the hunger strike indicates the beginning of a consistent and sincere dialogue.

We are aware that the human rights situation in Turkey has deteriorated dramatically during the last year. Over 100 journalists, many trade unionists, feminists and other intellectuals and opposition figures, all in all more than 10,000 – mostly Kurdish- political prisoners are now detained in a Turkish prison. The repression of the Turkish state is directed also against other increasingly confident oppositional politicians, who are in solidarity with the Kurdish movement or express criticism against the government in other areas. In addition military operations in the Kurdish territories occur on a nearly daily basis.

The Party of the European Left acknowledges that the demands of the prisoners are in accordance with international law and human rights. The hunger strikers have risked their lives and their health to start a dialogue. They want to have the right to defend themselves in a court of law in their own mother tongue; they want education in the Kurdish language and the end of the incommunicado detention of Abdullah Ocalan. The legislative initiative of the Turkish government so far cannot be seen as a serious concession, because the possibility to use the Kurdish language in court – according to the current legislative initiative – is depending on the consent of the judges.

The EL supports the non-violent struggle of the political prisoners for human rights and democracy. The EL calls on the Erdogan government to finally start sincere negotiations and a real peace process. The European governments must respond to the dire human rights situation in Turkey and must strongly press for respect of human rights and towards political negotiations.